Princess Cruises vs. Norwegian Cruise Line

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By:

Dori Saltzman

Senior Editor

Updated September 6, 2018

Easygoing cruise line with few bells and whistles and a respect for cruise traditions like main dining rooms and live music; aims to put cruisers in a relaxed and rejuvenated state of mind

Norwegian Cruise Line

Casual cruise line designed around a "freestyle" concept of doing what you want, when you want, including no set dining times, but with more for-fee options than most other cruise lines

Fleet size, ship sizes and ages

Princess Cruises

17 ships, four built before 2000
Smallest: Pacific Princess (672 passengers)
Largest: Royal Princess, Regal Princess and Majestic Princess (all with 3,560 passengers)
Oldest: Sun Princess (1995)

Norwegian Cruise Line

16 ships; two built before 2000
Smallest: Norwegian Sun (1,936 passengers) and Norwegian Sky (2,004 passengers)
Largest: Norwegian Escape (4,248 passengers), Norwegian Epic (4,100 passengers), Norwegian Bliss (4,004 passengers)
Oldest: Norwegian Spirit (1998), Norwegian Sky (1999)

Pricing

Princess Cruises

Pricing is in line with industry averages, but sales are offered frequently
Cruise fares include almost one-half of the alternative dining venues on all ships
Pricing includes all theater entertainment

Norwegian Cruise Line

Prices are generally similar to industry averages (sometimes a tad lower), but the line is known for nickel-and-diming onboard
Cruise fare includes less than half of the restaurants offered onboard
Unlike most cruise ships where for-fee restaurants carry a cover charge, all for-fee eateries, minus two, are a la carte (priced per item)
All entertainment included (except for lunch and dinner shows, plus alcohol-included special experiences such as Prohibition, the Musical, all of which are only available on select ships)
Offers all-inclusive fares onboard short sailings of two ship in its fleet (Norwegian Sky, Norwegian Sun) that include all soft and alcoholic drinks

Demographics

Princess CruisesView Princess Cruises Roll Calls >>

Caribbean and Alaska sailings draw families, couples and groups of friends in most age brackets
Exotic itineraries (primarily offered on Diamond Princess, Sun Princess and Pacific Princess) pull in a 55-plus crowd

Norwegian Cruise LineView Norwegian Roll Calls >>

Popular with families and couples, ages 35 to 65
Larger number of solo cruisers on ships that feature Studio rooms (Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss)

Itineraries/Destinations/Homeports

Princess CruisesView Princess Cruises Itineraries >>

Cruises out of seven North American mainland ports, depending on season, with no ships staying at a single port year-round
Sails Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii itineraries from the U.S.
Offers the strongest Alaska cruise (with optional land) program in the industry
Sails Europe cruises three-quarters of the year, including Northern Europe, Mediterranean and Baltic itineraries from several European ports
Operates world cruises
Has ships sailing in Australia and Asia year-round
Exotic cruises include South Pacific, Asia, India, Australia/New Zealand, South America and Africa sailings

Norwegian Cruise LineView Norwegian Itineraries >>

Sails from 12 ports on the North American mainland, plus Puerto Rico on a regular basis, if not year-round
Offers Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico and Alaska itineraries
Offers seasonal Mediterranean and Northern Europe itineraries
Only major cruise line to sail year-round all-Hawaiian island cruises departing from Hawaii
Exotic itineraries include South America, as well as Asia, Australia, India and the Arabian Gulf

Cabins

Princess Cruises

Room choices range from 25 options on the smallest ship to 35 on the largest (all within seven basic categories)
Distinctive room options include oceanview suites, plus mini-suites without a balcony (select ships only)
Extensive suite perk program including a complimentary dinner at an alternative restaurant on the first night, priority embarkation/debarkation, butler service, free laundry and access to the Club Class dining room or a Club Class section of the main dining room (depending on ship) for dinner each night, plus daily breakfast and lunch on sea days
Limited family room choices include regular rooms with connecting doors, as well as family suites with full baths on select ships

Norwegian Cruise Line

Cabin sizes are comparable to industry standards, though balconies on the Breakaway-class ships are notably small
Cabin room type choices range from 16 cabin categories on the smallest ships to 25 on the newest ships
Six ships offer Studio cabins, which are inside cabins sized and priced for solo cruisers
Four ships have spa cabins, which come with free access to the onboard saunas and steam room
Nine ships have the exclusive, key-card-access, top-deck Haven suite complex, which features a private courtyard and pool; of these ships, five also have a private lounge and dining room for suite passengers
Suite privileges include priority embarkation, debarkation and tender boarding; butler and concierge service; a suites-only breakfast location; complimentary sparkling wine, fruit and bottled water on embarkation day; and free daily canapes

Dining

Princess Cruises

One main dining room on each ship is designated a traditional dining area (early and late seatings), while one or more other dining rooms is for the flexible Anytime Dining program (except on Pacific Princess, which only offers Traditional)
Growing selection of alternative restaurants on most ships; some like International Cafe are included in the cruise fare, while others such as the Salty Dog Gastropub cost extra
Partnership with Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone brings "Crafted by Curtis" menu items to the main dining room, as well as a Share by Curtis Stone restaurant on four ships
Partnership with chocolatier Norman Love provides passengers with special chocolate desserts, drinks, tasting experiences and spa treatments
Passengers in balcony rooms can take advantage of the for-fee Ultimate Balcony Dining, an in-room, fine-dining experience
At least one formal night per sailing requiring passengers to dress up for dinner (or eat in the buffet where casual dress is acceptable)

Norwegian Cruise Line

No early or late dinner seatings; instead you can eat in any of the restaurants at any time during open hours (reservations for specialty restaurants are encouraged)
Most ships have two free alternative eateries: one Asian-style (lunch, dinner) and one pub/restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
All ships have four to six extra-fee specialty restaurants including a steak, Italian, French, Japanese hibachi, Brazilian and sushi restaurant; all but the hibachi and Brazilian eateries are priced per item
Four ships (Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss) feature The Waterfront, an outdoor space offering alfresco seating for several of the ships' bars and restaurants
One optional formal night on weeklong sailings

Pool Deck Fun

Princess Cruises

Most ships have at least three pools, including a less-trafficked aft pool, and a minimum of five hot tubs; several ships also have a pool with a retractable roof
Silly poolside games on sea days on ships sailing in the Caribbean
Adults-only Sanctuary (some with pool) offers a quiet sun deck/pool alternative for a half-day or full-day fee
Movie showings daily on upper sun deck as part of Movies Under the Stars

Norwegian Cruise Line

Every ship in the fleet has at least one large pool or two smaller pools, as well as four to six hot tubs
Kids' pool or splash pool on all ships
Eight ships have pool and water slide combos; six of these have multi-slide Aqua Parks
Pool decks are mostly for lounging around but on hot-weather cruises there's always some poolside fun to be had

Sports Deck Fun

Princess Cruises

All ships have jogging tracks and shuffleboard; most also have a basketball court
All ships have a golf area, which might have a practice cage or a nine-hole putting course

Norwegian Cruise Line

Every ship has a basketball court; most also have golf driving nets and a handful have mini-golf
Four ships have rock climbing walls; two of these also have a ropes course and mini-golf -- a fifth ship, Norwegian Escape, has a massive ropes course but no rock climbing wall
Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy have a two-level Go-Kart racing track, plus an outdoor laser tag course; both cost extra to use; they also have mini-golf, but no rock climbing wall or rope course

Indoor Fun

Princess Cruises

Daily fun includes trivia, arts and crafts, bingo, dance classes and Voice of the Ocean rehearsals (a singing competition created via a partnership with TV's "The Voice")
Destination-specific lectures and enrichment programs on itineraries in Alaska, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific
Several ships in the fleet have a multi-deck piazza-style atrium, a hub for dining and entertainment

Norwegian Cruise Line

Daytime indoor fun (free and for-a-fee) includes dance classes, bingo, trivia and the interactive "Deal or No Deal" show, as well as beer and wine tastings
Select ships offer full-size or miniature bowling
Several ships have a free circus-themed escape room experience; participants must work together to solve puzzles and "escape" within a specified time frame
Several ships have a wall-sized Wii screen in the atrium for group Wii play

Nightlife

Princess Cruises

Select ships feature a made-for-Princess theater show created by Oscar winner and composer of "Wicked," "Pippin" and "Godspell" Stephen Schwartz
All ships have musical revue-style shows, as well as intermittent comedy and magic acts
Piano and small act music shows available nightly in just about every bar and lounge
Vines wine bar, with its sizeable list of varietals, is the spot for a late-night glass of wine or a wine-and-chocolate pairing
All ships have a late-night dance club

Norwegian Cruise Line

Full-length Broadway productions on five ships: Norwegian Breakaway ("Rock of Ages"), Norwegian Getaway ("Legally Blonde"), Norwegian Epic ("Priscilla Queen of the Desert"), Norwegian Escape ("After Midnight"), and Norwegian Bliss ("Jersey Boys")
All ships offer comedy acts at least once per sailing, with four ships featuring nightly shows in a dedicated comedy club
Every ship in the fleet features musical revue-style song-and-dance theater shows several times per sailing
Newer ships also feature alternative wine- or cocktail-focused theater shows or dinner/theater shows, for an extra fee
All ships have at least eight to 10 bars and lounges

Family Focus

Princess CruisesPrincess Family Cruise Reviews>>

Three kids clubs for smaller kids, tweens and teens
Kid-centric shipboard and shore excursion programs for children themed around Discovery Channel TV shows including Discovery, Animal Planet, the Learning Channel and the Science Channel
All ships (minus Pacific Princess) have a kids' splash pool; select vessels have teen-only hot tubs
DIY laundry rooms for easy cleaning of kids' clothing
Select ships have two-room family suites

Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Family Cruise Reviews>>

Kids' programming is divided into four groups: ages 3 to 5, 6 to 9, 10 to 12, and 13 to 17
The Guppies program on all ships offers scheduled programming for parents and their babies or toddlers, ages 6 months to 2 years; Norwegian Escape and Bliss have a Guppies Nursery where parents can drop off their babies (6 months to 2 years) for babysitting
For-fee evening and port day group baby-sitting is available for kids ages 3 to 12
Family accommodation options include suites, oceanview cabins, balconies and inside rooms

Tradition vs Innovation

Princess Cruises

Provides a refined, somewhat traditional cruise experience that includes main dining rooms, limited specialty restaurants and song-and-dance revue evening shows
Limited innovations on the newest ships (Royal Princess and Regal Princess) including the SeaWalk, a see-through glass walkway suspended off one side of the ship 16 decks above the water

Norwegian Cruise Line

Water parks, ropes courses, laser tag, Broadway shows and the innovative alfresco dining area, The Waterfront are among the innovations found only on the newest ships
Two newest ships, Norwegian Bliss and Joy, have full-scale Go-Kart racetracks
Historically, has been a line unafraid to experiment with dining, entertainment and design